Something Beyond my Search
by Nadeishiko
Summary: The story focuses on the Jumi arc of Legend of Mana. We realize the advancement of feelings Elazul develops for the strange person he owes Pearl's safety to. Just who is this girl and what are his feelings for her? Quest-by-quest. ElazulXHeroine
1. The Lost Princess

Something Beyond my Search

Author: Nadeishiko

All ownership claims go to Squaresoft and the appropriate developing staff. Direct quotes from the game are used.

**MAJOR UPDATE (25/09/2014)**

**The Chapter has been completely revised- some things were taken out, and some were added. In short, it doesn't suck nearly as much as it did when I wrote it about three years ago. REJOICE! **

**I will continue to revise the other chapters and post on them WHEN they have been revised. I look forward to revising Flame of Hope the most. God damn Sproutling from hell .**

**Only when I finish revising will I be posting the other chapters, so please be patient! I have some in store, but I don't feel they're quite good enough for publishing just yet.**

**Tl;dr EDITED.**

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><p>If he had to describe her in one word, the first thought that popped into his head would have been <em>nosy<em>. The thought teased at the back of his mind as he walked beside the slim and petite figure, as she chugged down an extra-large chocolate-springanana milkshake as if she were a vacuum. Her golden hair fell over her shoulders as a waterfall, only to be sucked into odd tubes engraved with all sorts of elemental runes—surely accessories that enhanced her magical execution, much as the gems encrusted into his rock glove did for him. Her dress fell elegantly over her slender and well-shaped form, arm and leg warmers complimenting the outfit boldly. Her carefully-tanned skin was adorned with a pleasant and constant natural blush upon her cheeks, a small nose carefully placed in the middle of her face, and wide green eyes, which brought slight nostalgia to his core, occupying the centre of attention on the oval face. She was a beautiful girl, to be sure, and despite his serious nature, Elazul could not help himself as he snuck a couple of inconspicuous glances her way.

The girl stopped drinking just long enough to let out a loud burp, and with an insincere apology, proceeded to take an indecent bite out of her caramelized Squalphin fin. Elazul twitched at the rudeness, noticing that she had bitten off more than she could chew. She reminded him of something between a squirrel and a Boink instead of a pretty girl. He grimaced as he looked away, no longer taking any gratification from the sight. The silent walk (save for the quiet chewing of the girl) allowed a few more thoughts to creep into the _young _man's head. . .

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><p><em>Elazul had been arguing with a curious creature, albeit no more curious than those he had encountered during his long journey. Tiring of the short warrior, he turned to walk into the homey tavern; it was then that he heard the onion-kiddish creature sigh, demanding in defeat "Hey! At least give me your name!"<em>

_The Jumi stayed quiet for a few seconds, considering walking away without responding. "Elazul." He gave in without so much as turning around, and walked into the pub with a tense set to his broad shoulders. _

_Just before exiting hearing range, Elazul managed to overhear the short man, "Jeez. . . he makes me sick." _

'_/i_At least my smell doesn't make people want to cry.i_' He thought, allowing himself a sole thought of amusement. He then returned to the task at hand. Granted, barging into a random household to interrogate a Model 1 Teapo may not have been the brightest idea. He scanned the establishment to search for somebody to ask about his lost companion, only to realize that the place had been emptied when a rabbit. . . creature had walked out. _

_No, that wasn't right. There was a fae girl cleaning the table the rabbit-cat-man was sitting at before. He knew the girl to have spoken to Pearl once or twice before, and he was sure to have seen them together just before Pearl went missing. Surely she had to know __**something**__. He approached her, the intimidating walk that always seemed to stick to him like gum on a shoe taking over and frightening the poor wench. _

"_Spit it out. I know you know where she is." He cornered her, a shade of surprised fear creeping into her features and rendering her silent. The double doors to the pub swung open, but Elazul was far too preoccupied with his mission to bother looking back._

_The knight then heard a sharp intake of breath behind him, along with a delicate voice asking "What are you doing?" He supposed the visual of him towering over the barmaid did not put him in the best light, but he couldn't bring himself to care. The safety of his guardian was his first priority, after all._

"_Silence!" He spoke as he turned, "Do not interrupt!" He glared coldly at the new figure—a girl, shorter by a head and a half than him, with blonde hair, bright as the sun in the darkened tavern. She didn't seem like she would be much of a problem; in fact, she seemed rather easily intimidated. He turned back to the fae "Speak up! Don't make me angry. . . "_

_The girl shivered once more, looking away with fear plain in her eyes; it was the stubborn set to her otherwise frightened eyes that would have provoked a certain degree of admiration in him under other circumstances. His glare intensified "What are you hiding?"_

_The blonde girl's voice came in as a surprise—Elazul was sure he had shut her up and driven her away (the fact that he didn't realize she was still there being more embarrassing than he would care to admit). "Hey! Stop that!" He turned back to glare once more, finding her face contorted into a displeased look._

"_Leave us alone!" the Jumi commanded angrily._

_Just as he turned back to the fairy, the girl moved protectively in between them, putting her arms to her sides as she mirrored his glare. "Leave her alone! She's shaking with fear, you bully!"_

_Had she really just used the word 'bully'? He shook the thought off "This is none of your business," he tried to reason roughly, "could you just go away?" He went up to her, looming over her figure threateningly in the hopes of scaring her away. _

"_I'm not going to let you treat my friend in such a way!" She replied hotly, tilting her head back to look at him coldly, surprising Elazul when he could identify no sign of fear in her body. _

"_Friends, you say?" The knight leaned back, crossing his arms, "I don't believe you." The girl was speechless, yet refused to back down. He knew that there would be nothing to make her do so. He sighed as he looked at the quiet, scared girl behind the feisty one. They locked gazes, his glare and certainty wavering. "Don't you have any idea?" He frowned with concern, a tightness concentrating at his core, "Are you sure you don't know where she is?" _

_The girl looked away from him, shame or sadness painted into her already-frightened and pale expression. "Dammit! I've wasted my time!" Elazul exclaimed as the fear and worry for his guardian were once again replaced with anger and frustration. He stormed off as quickly as he had gone in, knocking an un-tucked chair aside on the way._

_His core was blazing and pulsing. Elazul was panicking, the thought of harm coming to his guardian knotting his stomach. As much as he would have wanted to run around looking for her some more, he knew he needed to calm down and meditate on the situation. He headed for the Church of Mana, the only place where he knew he could find a bit of comfort in his time of need. Perhaps the Goddess would show him the way._

~o~

_Elazul opened his eyes abruptly, a frown once again staining his handsome features. He stood from his kneeling position furiously and stormed out, making the priest nearly drop the sacred Book in surprise._

'Dammit!_' Elazul thought to himself once more as he passed the rodent of a detective that hung around the Church. When he was out of sight and hearing range, the green-haired man spoke to the Goddess from his position, ignoring the fact that even he felt rather ridiculous. "I can't afford to waste any more time! I already prayed to you for twenty-five minutes and you cannot so much as give me a sign?" He picked up a rock in rage and threw it into a nearby bush, "What the hell does it take to get a bloody clue around here?" He clutched his head. As he was turning in exasperation, he noticed the frisky girl from before walking out of the market area and into the lonely road. It was then that he noticed the halberd hanging on her back. He stared for a few seconds to make sure that she hadn't seen him, turned to throw another rock, and froze with a twitch. '_Alright, I've got it, I've got it. That's the hint? Fine, I'll play along._' He cursed his luck and the Goddess's sick sense of humour as he realized that that irritable person might well be the only one who could help him. He sighed as he called out, "Hey!"_

_The girl looked about her, turning wildly in every direction to pinpoint the voice that had called out. "Over here!" the Jumi called more loudly than before, hoping to focus her attention on him. _

_When the blonde finally spotted him, she grimaced. He ran up to her despite her look of dislike. "What do you want?"_

"_Take me with you." He said plainly. For some reason, after a few seconds of silence, the girl's face changed from a look of hatred to one of wonder. She opened her mouth as she tilted her head slightly, much to the Jumi's confusion. _

_She closed her mouth and furrowed her brow, twisting her mouth to one side. "What is it that you need?"_

_His mouth went dry. How could he possibly communicate the urgency of the situation? "I'm looking for a precious lost friend." He croaked out, unable to voice his deepest fear._

_She sighed and closed her eyes in defeat. "Alright, I'll help you."_

_Elazul's core shone brightly in glee for a second. "I won't leave you alone until we bring her back!" He almost grinned, "I promise!"_

"_On one condition." The girl said, holding up her index to the side of her head. A load seemed to have dropped into Elazul's uneasy stomach. He listened for her request—he was willing to do anything. "You have to buy me a snack."_

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><p>Elazul was taken out of his reverie by a loud exclamation, jumping slightly between steps. He vaguely noticed the scary and humid cave just a few yards away- Mekiv Caverns, he believed. He had heard a couple of children in Domina trying to scare their friend with stories about it.<p>

"Oh!" The girl exclaimed, stopping in place, "By the way, what's your name?" She turned to him. Clearly she seemed to be in a better mood. "I'm Imu!" She grinned.

The Jumi knight had to blink a few times before he realized what happened, then said in a stupid daze "Uh. . .Elazul." He hadn't realized that he had stopped until then.

"Elazul?" The girl stared straight ahead with a confused look, incredulity colouring her voice. He supposed she didn't like his name. "Nice to meet you Elazul! So, this friend of yours, what's his or her name?" she smiled back at him, somehow wiping the previous thought from his mind.

Elazul wondered why she was taking so much interest in the search when she had already accepted it, but decided it couldn't hurt, "Her name is Pearl."

"Cute name." She smiled, then looked at the Jade Egg that Rachel, the girl at the pub, had given her when she handed them her milkshake. Clearly, it was a way to show them the way to Pearl. After all, Elazul had said that it smelled like her (a fact which Imu had scrunched her nose at). They both seemed to notice something different from the egg: it was glowing! The man stared around frantically, his eyes setting on the cave he had seen before. A determined look set on his features; before he could say anything, he was already being dragged along by the wrist. "Come on! Let's go find Pearl! She must be in that cave!" She grinned back at him as she hauled him along, her smile far more excited than it had any right to be.

~o~

After battling several monsters that had stood in their way, Elazul was certain of two things. The first: Pearl was nearby; his core was resonating nonstop in response to the similar jewel her guardian bore. The second: Imu was the complete opposite of Pearl— her exceptional fighting skills made her the first person in a long, long time that could fight on equal footing with him. It was, in fact, kind of scary how perfectly she was able to complement his movements.

As they entered a wide open space in the cavern, Elazul noticed a red-haired woman with wide flowers decorating her hair ostentatiously. Despite a slight trembling of his core, which in his worry was disregarded, he and Imu went up to inquire about whether she had seen Pearl.

"You sure are late," the woman said, "Pearl is this way. Hurry, go help her. "

Elazul became defensive, "Who are you? Why do you know Pearl's name?"

The stranger ignored him, turning towards the blonde, "One more thing," she smirked, "You'd best stay away from these people."

"Hey!" Elazul groped for his sword in case that he would have to use it suddenly, "How is it that you know of us?"

The woman continued to ignore him, "I hope you don't get turned to stone or anything. . ." her hand hovered by her mouth, doing a poor job of hiding an amused grin.

The knight noticed Imu looking at the woman in confusion, words dying on her lips over and over. A sense of alarm enveloped him. As his companion was about to say something, a piercing scream broke the silence. "Pearl!" Elazul screamed, breaking into a run in the direction of the scream- he vaguely noticed Imu following after him. Entering the next section of the cave, Elazul looked frantically around.

"EL, WATCH OUT!" Imu screamed, tackling just in time to get him away from a giant fist, swinging in the spot the Jumi had stood a moment before. "We can worry about Pearl after we take care of this big guy." The shorter girl grinned mischievously, adrenaline radiating off of her like heat off a canyon. He nodded in agreement, and took a fighting stance as the girl took out her halberd excitedly.

The fight, Elazul had to admit, would have been incredibly hard to overcome had it not been for the blonde fighting by his side. Within a matter of minutes and several well-placed and well-timed blows from both their parts, they had defeated the giant. He looked at it as he panted slightly, stretching his rock-gloved arm as if he had gotten some sort of cramp.

Imu wiped sweat off her forehead with her arm warmer as she stared at the spot where the enormous monster had once lain lifeless, as a few sparks of mana dissipated on the spot.

Elazul wasted no more time with contemplation, "Pearl! Where are you!" His core resonated strongly, a soft shine emanating from it. A similar shine was produced nearby a big boulder.

"Elazul?" A gentle voice asked, a tad bit of fright edging it.

The tall man ran up to a frail-looking dirty-blonde girl with a scalloped white dress. He took her by her delicate, thin shoulders and looked pointedly into her hazel eyes. "Is your core alright?" He asked, a degree of softness he had not expressed in a long time tainting his voice.

"Yes. . . " She replied, looking down in shame.

A bit of frustration returned to Elazul behind the relief, obnoxiousness once more seeping into his voice, "I told you not to go wandering by yourself!" He made her look directly at him, "How did you end up here?"

"I was. . . um. . .thinking about things. . ." She blushed as a pout formed on her perfect lips.

Elazul sighed, keeping his temper in check. He looked at her gently. "You don't need to think anymore. Right now you should just stay safe by my side."

"But. . ." Pearl tried to complain.

"That's enough!" Elazul said firmly, a tone of finality to his voice.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." Pearl exhaled as she looked down, her hands fidgeting with one another in a habit that she had picked up since she began to travel with Elazul.

"Now, wait just a second!" A voice that the knight had once again forgotten about exclaimed. "Don't be so tough on the poor girl! She's clearly been through a lot and—"

Elazul cut her off "You stay out of this!" He said, irritation filling his voice completely. He saw her mouth snap shut, a glare locked with his. His eyes, just for a fraction of a second, betrayed his gratitude.

Pearl looked from one to the other for several seconds, before daring to ask, "Who is that?" her voice was quiet, intending for only her knight to hear.

Elazul tore his eyes away slowly, softening them slightly when he looked at Pearl, "Just someone who helped me find you . . . a strange kind of person. " He added as an afterthought.

"Oh. . ." Pearl voiced, not knowing what else to say.

"Well then," Elazul rubbed his eyes, "Let's go." He began to walk, ignoring Pearl's beginning of a protest. He looked at Imu, stubbornly grateful, "See you around." He nodded as he passed her and kept walking, thinking Pearl would follow. The sprightly blonde, meanwhile, did not seem impressed by his attitude.

Pearl shyly walked up to Imu, who smiled at her widely, "Um. . . Th-thank you." She blushed deeply.

"No problem!" the response came happily. "I'm Imu, glad to see you're ok, Pearl!"

"We're going!" Elazul called as he looked back, annoyance in his voice.

"I'm sorry, I'm going too!" she replied urgently, and then reached into the pocket of her sleeve. "Thank you Imu. This is for all you've done for me." She handed her two items dripping with Mana. She smiled with a blush once more, and ran towards Elazul.

As she caught up to him, she turned to wave goodbye to Imu before speaking to her Knight, "She seems nice." A warm smile was drawn across her pretty features.

"I guess. . . she's certainly strong. She can take care of herself, that one." Elazul shrugged, looking out for the strange woman they had seen earlier, careful not to let Pearl notice.

Pearl blushed again, bowed her head, and looked sideways at Elazul. "Do you think we'll see her again?"

"With that damn nosy attitude of hers?" He raised an eyebrow, "I really wouldn't be surprised."

Pearl giggled, "Seems like you've met your match, Elazul."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Elazul glared with no hatred in the look.

"Oh nothing!" Pearl ran up ahead a little and faced him, walking backwards. "I just hope you're right. I'd like to get to know her, wouldn't you?"

The knight would not accept it. "A girl like her? No thanks." He feigned apathy, much to Pearl's displeasure. Her mood seemingly unaffected, she turned around to walk forward, humming a happy tune to herself. '_Though I guess a bit of annoying variety couldn't hurt. . ._' he smiled lightly to himself. He nearly stopped when he realized something, '_Did she call me "El" before?'_

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><p>Author's comments:<p>

There just isn't enough LoM fanfiction! I picked up the game once more and have been playing nonstop. I also found the manga, so I read and finished it. This story is not based on the manga, and very few references to it will be made. One of those few references is the heroine's name: Imu.

I don't know whether I'll be making all of it in Elazul's point of view or if I will switch back and forth. I want to cover all of the quests, preferably even the ones that Elazul doesn't necessarily appear in.

Hope you like it! Happy questing!


	2. The Flame of Hope

Something Beyond my Search

Author: Nadeishiko

All ownership claims go to Squaresoft and the appropriate developing staff. Direct quotes from the game are used.

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><p>Imu stretched, fatigue wearing her down like an anvil—and boy did she know how heavy they were! The small boy beside her seemed just as tired. "Hey Bud," she caught his attention, "What's the next town and how far off are we?"<p>

The boy unfolded the map hanging from his belt, consulting it for a minute before replying, "It should come into sight in about 5 minutes. It's Gato Grottoes!" a wide grin spread over his childish features.

"Gato Grottoes? You seem excited; is it a cool town or something?" Imu wondered in surprise at his reaction.

Bud, energy suddenly back in his small body, replied, "Of course it is! Not only does the wisdom Selva often visit, but it is also the home to the Temple of Healing! Mana nuns train mystic healing powers in there, and the healing branch of the goddess resides there!" he waved his arms excitedly as he spoke.

Imu looked upon him tenderly and continued to converse with her self-acclaimed apprentice. It wasn't long before they began approaching the lights of the sacred town. Fatigue getting to them, with a look they agreed to rush towards the town, making it there in a shorter time than they had originally expected. "Alright, well, first of all, we need to check into an inn, then we eat." Her lips spread into a smile at the thought of food. Bud nodded in agreement, and they set out to find a place to spend the night.

Having checked into a homey-looking place near the entrance, Imu and Bud set out to a restaurant they had seen on the way to the inn. As a waitress sat them down, Imu felt a chill run down her spine—it wasn't the first time she felt such a unique chill, but she couldn't quite place it. Inconspicuously looking around, her eyes fell upon a man with a red outfit. His head was covered by a turban of the same fiery colour, and a giant ruby protruded from his chest like a growth, shining softly though the fabric of his clothes. Familiarity crossed over Imu's features in displeasure as she turned back to her menu. She frowned as memories of the other guy he had met rushed into her mind. What was that word again?

"What's wrong master?" Bud asked, taking her out of her reverie, in concern. "Does your tummy feel sick?" he was terrified for her health.

Imu stared at him in confusion for a minute, then shook her head with a smile. "No, I'm ok Buddy Bud." She used the nickname she had given him. She then remembered the word she had heard from the Priest at the Church of Mana, and asked Bud about it, "Hey, Bud, do you know what a Jumi is?" she made sure to say it in a quiet voice, hoping the man behind her would not hear.

"Of course master noticed, too! What a sharp eye you have, indeed!" he called triumphantly, adoration growing into his features, then proceeded to explaining, "A Jumi is a member of a long-lost, near-extinct race of humans who had a jewel for a heart, which is located smack in the middle of their chest, exposed. There are usually two—a guardian, and a knight. The knight's task is to protect his guardian at any cost, and the guardian in turn cries tears of healing to aid their knight in battle. But one day, all guardians became unable to cry, and the race started to die off. So if a Jumi is seen in this day and age- which is very rare indeed!-, they will surely be a knight without a guardian." Bud seemed proud of himself for educating his master in something new.

Imu pursed her lips, frowning at the new information, "The death of a race. . .it's so. . . it's so sad." She grimaced, her eyes, stinging as she tried to hold tears back (it had been such a long day, and sadness was less withheld in tiredness). After seeing Elazul caring so much for Pearl, she could just imagine it too well: a bleeding knight, crying over his dead guardian as they became sparks of mana, leaving the knight all alone in the world. No wonder Elazul was such a grouch!

Bud, alarmed, stood up with a smack of the table and screamed at Imu, "MASTER, NO! WHATEVER YOU DO, DO NOT CRY!" The whole restaurant went silent, and only then did Bud notice how loud he had been. He looked around for the Jumi, in case he had realized they were talking about his race, then realized that he must have left at some point while they were talking. Crystallized eyes looked at him in shock as he sat back down, and as the commotion began about him once more, he clarified himself, "If you cry for a Jumi, master, you are sure to turn to stone."

"Stone?" Imu exclaimed, "I don't want to turn to stone!" Imu rubbed at her eyes to get rid of the teary feeling, and stopped the flow right then and there. "But why is that?" she asked as she took a sip of her glass of water.

"Who knows? I guess it has something to do with the fact that they themselves can't cry." Bud shrugged as the waitress came up to them. Something poked at the back of Imu's stomach, which she chose to ignore and began to place her order. The waitress's jaw dropped in shock as she struggled to keep up with what she asked for.

~o~

Imu woke up in the early morning. Gazing out the window, she realized it couldn't be any later than 7 am. Not being able to fall back asleep due to a stronger poking in her stomach, she opted for taking a walk. Careful not to wake her young companion, she slipped out of bed, put her shoes on, and tip-toed out of bed towards the door.

Walking out of the hotel made her feel like the world itself had taken a breath mint—everything was so cool and fresh! Oh, how she loved the feeling. She set about to exploring the town, going through streets, into alleys, and past all kinds of early risers. On one street, she noticed a Sproutling laying on the ground; two nuns beside it.

"Excuse me, but are you feeling alright?" a tone of concern protruded from one of the nuns as she asked the Sproutling.

"My tummy hurts. . . " he replied painfully.

"Oh, could you help me take care of him?" she asked her companion.

"Thanks. . . " the Sproutling voiced, "Ow, my tummy!" he seemed on the edge of crying.

The other nun touched his arm, "Come on, try to walk to that shop over there."

"Oh. . . " the Sproutling seemed afraid, "N-No, I can't. . . " he pulled away desperately, "Someone help meeee!"

"I wonder if he is alright?" the nun that had first spoken asked worriedly.

The other nun, less worried, replied, "Maybe the mountain paths wore out that Sproutling."

Imu shrugged and went up to a fork in the road, and in the distance to the left, she could see the Temple that Bud was talking about. She was ashamed to only then notice the man from the night before, standing at the very middle of the fork. She decided it wouldn't hurt to talk to him. "Hi there!" a polite smile, nod, and greeting encouraged her to continue, "I'm new to town, so I'm hoping to make local acquaintances. I'm Imu!" She held out her hand, which was politely shaken.

"I'm Rubens, a fire-keeper for this town." He replied, and then added as an afterthought, "Let me ask you something. I hear a thief is after the temple's flame." He paled at his own statement, "Did you see anyone suspicious on your way here?"

Imu thought about it for a second, dismissing the Sproutling and nuns from her options, then shook her head, "Nope, I didn't see anyone."

Rubens sighed, whether in relief or disappointment, Imu wasn't sure, "You didn't? Well, I guess that's good. I guess it was just a rumour. . . " he chuckled lightly, "The inspector exaggerates everything."

"Huh. . .hey, what is your job as a fire-keeper, exactly?"

His gaze wavered for a second, but he did not pause in his answer, "My job is to keep the torches burning at the temple. The temple is to your left." He seemed anxious to change the subject, "By the way, a Sproutling running by here was acting strange. . . I think he went to the terrace." He pointed towards the right side of the fork.

"Oh! I saw him on my way here; I hope he's ok. I should go check on him. See you later!" she walked off with a smile and a good bye.

~o~

Imu walked in on a scene very similar to the one before.

"My tummy hurts! Please help me!" the Sproutling cried to a nun.

"Let me see. . . " the nun knelt down to inspect him, "Oh, it's a Popo Bug! It can cure most anything!"

"Help me!" the creature cried as it flailed its arms about.

"Just wait!" the nun stopped him, "That bug is the ultimate medicine. . . Let's just remove it."

"You're going to help me?" the Sproutling smiled.

"I'm just going to peel away a leaf to take out the Popo." She began to move her hand towards the offending piece of roughage.

The Sproutling panicked and ran away, ignoring Imu as he rushed past her, "Nooooooo!"

"Oh, what a waste! Popo Bugs are so expensive. . . I think Mr. Rubens needed that medicine, too."

Imu's breath caught. If the nice Jumi man needed the medicine, she would try to get it for him. Not really just because he was a Jumi, but because he had been so very kind to her, despite his serious nature.

Going back to the fork, Rubens was in the same spot as before. Something occurred to Imu that hadn't occurred to her before, "Hello again, Mr. Rubens! I should have asked you something else before: who was the inspector you were talking about?"

Rubens' smile was amused as he replied, "He's a mouse-man with a pipe and a really loud voice. He keeps pestering me to be careful all the time."

Imu laughed, "Yeah! He's DEFINITELY that old man! Anyway, I hope to see you around, Mr. Rubens!" she winked playfully and grinned, waving and walking off towards the temple.

Rubens waved back at the cute girl, and smiled at her retreating figure; it was the first time in a long time that anyone fun had come to Gato. He was taken out of his reverie by a light sound beside him. He frowned, "What's that?"

~o~

Imu walked into the temple to see the Sproutling pestering a praying nun. The Sproutling ran back out in desperation, and Imu failed to catch him, growing irritated at the small creature. She ran after him, following him back to the terrace she was just at. She couldn't help noticing the absence of Rubens as she passed by the fork.

She saw the Sproutling once more talking to the nun, "My tummy hurts! Help me, but don't tear off my leaves!" Imu eyed Rubens, who had not yet seen her, and figured that was where it would end—he would get the bug he needed and be alright. She would have left, but something urged her to stay where she was, so she simply stepped to the side in case the Sproutling would once more decide to rush out of the area.

"Alright, my dear. Come over here, I will help you." The nun called lovingly, yet Imu's stomach churned uncomfortably.

"Okay!" The Sproutling called and walked to her.

"Here, Mr. Rubens." She called. Rubens hesitated as he moved closer, his core seemed to shine through the cloth more brightly. The Sproutling fell to the ground with a painful exclamation, which the nun ignored, "Go ahead, Mr. Rubens."

The man hesitated, and took half a step back, "No, wait."

"Well?" the nun put her hands to her hips, "Don't you want to revive your petrified sweetheart?"

"Yes, but. . . "

The Sproutling shot up from his position, "Ooooooh, you meanie!" He ran away as Imu had predicted.

"See? Now he got away!" the nun chided at Rubens.

"I don't want to hurt anyone." He sighed.

"Then you can't protect anyone. You're too soft." Her words seemed to be like a slap to his face, rendering him silent. The nun went on scolding, "Life is like this town. . . Cutting through rocks to make pathways. We can't get to the top without a flame of hope in our hearts." Here she eyed him oddly, "Don't you think so?" at his silence, she spoke once more, "Only those strong enough to survive. It's nature's way."

Imu decided it would be best to leave, and headed back to the temple, despite her stomach churning in alarm.

~o~

A nun lay on the ground, the mouse-man kneeling by her, "Aha! A crime! The victim is. . . a. . . nun. She has no external wounds. . . " as Imu neared the pair, he called out to her, "Hey, you! Don't touch the body!"

The nun sounded irritated as she weakly opened her eyes, "I. . . I am still alive. . ."

"Oh, my apologies!" the mouse man adjusted his hat, "What seems to be the problem?"

"I twisted my ankle when the Sproutling bumped into me."

The inspector seem to boil, as Imu could swear she saw steam protruding from his giant ears, "So she disguised herself as a Sproutling? What could she want? Blast it, Sandra!" he looked to Imu, "You! Come with me! You might be of assistance!" he ran out of the temple towards the terrace, Imu nodding and running after him—something was terribly wrong; she should have never left those two alone.

~o~

Imu beat the inspector in record time. She walked in on a conversation. Suddenly, she was rendered unable to move. She couldn't even make a sound. The runes in her hair sticks burned as they tried to fight something off. Something evil. The two had not seen her.

"What is it?" Rubens stared towards the waterfall.

"I think I will get the Popo bug from that Sproutling." Her hand was shaped weird, but Imu could not place what was wrong with it.

" Well, go ahead. I'm not going to do it." Irritated, the Jumi turned to the nun.

"How callous! So you don't care one way or another about your love in Geo?" the nun chided.

Rubens narrowed his eyes, "How is it you know where she is?"

The nun seemed taken aback, and took a whole different tone to her voice altogether, "Good question. . . "

"Don't mock me." The man glared cautiously at her.

"Well, if you don't want it, can I take the Popo bug?"

"Fine by me."

The nun seemed to smirk, "You don't care whether it affects your girlfriend or the Sproutling, do you?"

"Look, I don't want to interfere in anyone's life." He glared dangerously at her, "And I don't want anyone interfering in mine. Just leave me alone."

Imu tried to scream, she realized what the oddity with her hand was a minute too late. Not a sound came from her.

"Never." As Rubens turned around to incredulously stare at the nun, daring flashing in his core, the jewel was sliced in half by a knife, bleeding a rich red liquid.

Rubens staggered, "Ungh!" he clutched at his chest in pain, "How. . . dare you. . . " he fell to the ground. A shattering sound was what it took for Imu to realize that she was free; the sticks in her hair blank of any motif. She ran to kneel beside Rubens, but was interrupted dangerously by a voice far different from the nun's previous voice. She stopped in her tracks.

"Come any closer, and I'll kill him. Do as I say," she turned to Rubens," And I won't harm your core."

"What. . . do you. .. want. . . ?" he responded weakly.

"I wanna see some tears! Cry like a child and beg for your life." Imu clenched her teeth. She knew that the three of them were aware of the impossibility. "Well?" the so-called nun exclaimed mockingly, almost to a point of pain, "Where are your tears?"

"But. . . I can't. . . "

Her voice turned to stone, "That's just too bad." She took the knife and set to work, taking the core from his chest, "Still alive, eh? Jumi of the Lucidia are indeed formidable. As I warned you, I'm taking the "Flame of Hope!"

Imu knew that there was nothing she could do for Rubens other than revenge, so she rushed at the nun.

"I won't be caught so easily. See you around." She winked at Imu and took out a hook, which she hooked onto a stone somewhere above. "See you around." She pulled herself up, out of Imu's reach and sight.

Imu sank to the ground beside Rubens, biting her lips in anger, making them bleed. She barely noticed Inspector Boyd come into the scene.

"Oh no!" he screamed angrily, smoke once again exiting his ears, "I was too late!" he took in Ruben's body. "Blast it! So it was you!" he pointed at Imu, who stood up angrily, "Give yourself up, Sandra, and take those crazy sticks out of your hair!" As the blonde was about to defend herself, Rubens interjected.

"No. . . " the attention of both was drawn to him, and Imu knelt beside him and took his hand, frowning, "It was. . .a. . . nun.. ." Boyd was once again infuriated, "Ungh. . . " Rubens contorted in pain, tightening his weak grip on her hand, "Diana. . .I-I wish I could see you again. . . " he looked as if he might cry, yet no tears fell, "I'm. . . sorry. . .".

With the last statement, Rubens became mana, his hand disappearing from Imu's.

~o~

Back in the prayer hall, the inspector was going over the details with Imu, and a very upset Bud at being left behind.

"The temple received a note from Sandra, the jewel hunter. It said that she will steal the Flame of Hope. I thought she meant the sacred torches...But she was after Mr. Rubens's core!  
>If only I had known that Mr. Rubens was a Jumi! We must catch Sandra, no matter what!<br>I need your help! Will you cooperate?"

"Absolutely." Imu answered determined.

"OH, THANK YOU!" Boyd almost cried with joy, then went back to being serious, "Something tells me that Sandra is still around this area. . . I will search the village, and you go check the outskirts. Let's go!"

~o~

Imu found herself at the waterfall, Bud closely beside her. As they neared the Cancun bird's nest, they heard a familiar conversation.

"I can get rid of the pain you feel." A nun spoke gently to a Sproutling.

"Reeeeally?"

"Yes. . ." she reached out to him.

"OW!" he exclaimed. Imu ran towards them, Bud following closely.

"Oh, more company?" she glared at Imu.

Inspector Boyd came behind Imu, "Now I have you, Sandra! You're going to pay for what you've done!" he pointed dramatically at her.

The nun took off her cloak to reveal a slim body. The sight was familiar.

"YOU!" Imu gritted her teeth, "You were with Pearl that day! Who the hell are you?" Imu reached for her Halberd, ready to rush towards her.

Sandra ignored Imu, "No one will ever catch me!" She winked at Boyd, "Ta-ta, everyone!" she once again threw up her hook, disappearing behind the nest of the majestic bird, on which she flew away.

"Blast it, the Cancun Bird!" The mouse-man exclaimed. Imu tuned out a conversation between him and the annoying Sproutling.

She glared at the retreating bird, determined on helping the Jumi somehow. She knew that she needed to find Elazul and talk to him about this. Boyd went up to her.

"Another Jumi was murdered. . .This is horrible. Well, I appreciate your help anyway. Please take this." He handed her a mana-filled artefact, then turned his fist towards the sky, "Sandra. . . I WILL catch you one of these days!"

* * *

><p><strong>Author's Comments:<strong>

Here's the second chapter. You know, I don't update often, but when I begin to write, I just cannot stop myself. At any rate, here we are. There are a lot of placeholders in this chapter thanks to that irritating Sproutling, so this is the best I could do. See you around!


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